Details of the case were given on Wednesday by General Surachate Hakparn, who confirmed that at least two officers are facing disciplinary action and potentially criminal charges over the handling of the case.

Top Cop launches disciplinary action: General Surachate Hakparn, known as Big Joke, confirms disciplinary action and a criminal investigation against police officers in response to Deutsche Welle TV’s shocking exposé on Pattaya sex tourism. Two officers face scrutiny for letting German suspect, Jens Kirch, escape after arrest in September 2022.

Top cop General Surachate Hakparn or Big Joke on Wednesday confirmed disciplinary action and a criminal investigation against two senior police officers in Pattaya in response to the shocking Deutsche Welle TV documentary on the country’s sex industry aired days ago. He also named the 55-year-old German suspect charged with the sexual assault of a minor under 18 years of age, 55-year-old Jens Kirch as the man at the centre of the story who skipped bail after his arrest in September 2022. The deputy national police chief, who was appointed by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to get to the bottom of the affair, pointed out that while Thailand does not have an extradition treaty with Germany, he plans, in due course, to speak with the German ambassador to Thailand to pursue the matter further.

In a robust and informative press conference on Wednesday, it was revealed two senior police officers in Pattaya are set to face disciplinary and potentially criminal action for their role in allowing a German man, accused of child sex charges, to leave the country after his arrest in September 2022 in the resort city.

 

by Joseph O' Connor

 

Full story: Thai Examiner.com 2023-12-07

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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UPDATE: Suspected German Child Sexual Abuser Tied to Pattaya Case Reportedly Arrested in Germany
By Tanakorn Panyadee

 

PHOTO: Matichon

Pattaya —A German national charged with sexually abusing children in Pattaya was reportedly arrested in his home country, said a Pattaya business operator.

Mrs. Lamphueng “Lisa” Hamilton, the chairwoman of the Jomtien-Pattaya Entertainment Association, took to Thai media to provide the latest update about Mr. Jens Kirch, a German expatriate who fled child sexual abuse charges in Thailand to Germany, and claimed to have paid a bribe of one million baht to Thai officials to help with his departure, which has been disputed as seen above by a lawyer connected to the case.

 

According to her, she was informed by a member of her association that Mr. Jens has already been arrested in Germany and is in custody with plans in place for Thai authorities to attempt to request to conduct an interview, according to Thai Police.

 

She further highlighted the challenges faced by Thailand in the extradition of foreign nationals who commit offenses in the country and then return to their home countries.

 

All in all, Ms. Lamphueng noted that the establishment linked to the case has been ordered closed for five years and has not operated since the closure order was issued. The owners of the venue are in Thailand and are going through the Thai legal system properly, added Ms. Lamphueng.

 

She added that late-night entertainment places in Pattaya have also been actively participating in a campaign to strictly prevent both child labor and sexual exploitation issues after the allegations emerged.

 

Full story: THE PATTAYA NEWS 2023-12-07

 

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Was wondering here Big Joke was lately, good to see him back online and tracking down crim's.😉

Only when a taxi driver hands back a half mil baht left in his taxi will my faith in the integrity of Pattaya be restored! 

Someone is lying! 

1 the German 

2 the lawyer 

3 the court & RTP 

How can the police 3 officers be charged with anything if according to the lawyer 2  the court allowed him to travel home for business?

Just saying!! 🤣

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

In a robust and informative press conference on Wednesday, it was revealed two senior police officers in Pattaya are set to face disciplinary and potentially criminal action for their role in allowing a German man, accused of child sex charges, to leave the country after his arrest in September 2022 in the resort city.

For a nice little earner.... 

They mention the German, but not the other person who also ‘skipped’. 

From the first link 

Quote

A more moderate and responsible voice in the foreign tourism industry on Wednesday, Ms Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), expressed apprehension based on a similar incident two decades ago which caused considerable damage to the fortunes of the resort city.

Marisa referred to a reported case of sex tourism in Pattaya that significantly impacted tourism confidence in Germany at that time. The number of tourists from the German market dropped substantially afterwards.

Anybody know what she is supposedly referring to?

2 minutes ago, NextG said:

They mention the German, but not the other person who also ‘skipped’. 

Did you read all the first link 

Quote

On Wednesday, General Surachate confirmed that a British suspect linked to the case is still in Thailand and faces human trafficking charges while an American charged with paying for sexual services with the same underage girl has also fled the country.

 

10 minutes ago, topt said:

Did you read all the first link 

 

You think he just found that out this week? 🤭

 

5 hours ago, webfact said:

it was revealed two senior police officers in Pattaya are set to face disciplinary and potentially criminal action

Thai cops are rarely found guilty and IF they are, their 'punishment' is a flea bite.

4 hours ago, Artisi said:

Was wondering here Big Joke was lately, good to see him back online and tracking down crim's.😉

He became a monk for a while

 

https://bnn.network/world/thailand/thai-police-deputy-commissioner-temporarily-ordains-as-monk/

Why aren't the Thai cops saying that they are seeking to get the German extradited back to Thailand to face court? If he was on bail and in the system, then shouldn't that be possible? Maybe the "bail money" was a bribe after all?

 

I'm guessing Germany has laws governing extraterritorial jurisdiction on child sex offences committed in Thailand, so once this guy was outed in such a public manner he was scr**ed.

54 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

Why aren't the Thai cops saying that they are seeking to get the German extradited back to Thailand to face court? If he was on bail and in the system, then shouldn't that be possible? Maybe the "bail money" was a bribe after all?

 

There is no extradition treaty between Germany and Thailand.

BJ is seeking 'assistance' from the German embassy here.

In an article in the BP (I think) police in Germany have arrested the guy and offered to let Thai police interview him (via video???).

2 hours ago, NextG said:

They mention the German, but not the other person who also ‘skipped’. 

 

That's because he's a German exposed on a German tv programme. Maybe the Americans are a bit slow off the starting block. Stay tuned.

57 minutes ago, nausea said:

I'm guessing Germany has laws governing extraterritorial jurisdiction on child sex offences committed in Thailand, so once this guy was outed in such a public manner he was scr**ed.

That’s not the case. The documentary is already nine months old. AFAIK he is only being held so that BJ can hold his teleconference with him. They could have done that in Feb when the documentary was first shown or even in August when on Al Jazeera’s 101 East. Remember that BJ was put on this case much earlier, perhaps even before Srettha became PM.  So all these details were known prior to this week. 

I'm no fan of pedophiles, but I am of due process

If Germany has no extradition treaty with Thailand, what was Jens arrested for in Germany? Unless it was for a German crime done on German soil it is a huge violation of basic civil rights if cops can just snatch you off the street in order to talk with foreign cops who have no jurisdiction or legal way to get you into their jurisdiction.

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Pattaya —A German national charged with sexually abusing children in Pattaya was reportedly arrested in his home country, said a Pattaya business operator.

 

I watched an online version of the DW report last night... And in the version I viewed, at the very end, there was now an ending screen text message saying the German guy had been arrested by authorities in Germany and was going to face criminal charges there.

 

 

 

5 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

That's because he's a German exposed on a German tv programme. Maybe the Americans are a bit slow off the starting block. Stay tuned.

BJ claims to be speaking to their Ambassador for Thailand about it. But why only now you might ask yourself…

The bizarre part of this is.... all the initial faux Thai outrage at the DW report for supposedly bringing Thailand and Pattaya to public disrepute...

 

When in fact, the original raid on the Pattaya bar that found evidence of underage prostitution was conducted by THAI POLICE! and it was Thai police who arrested the British manager and the two customers, one German and one American.... And then publicized the whole thing to the local media here...

 

So perhaps the faux outrage against DW is more than a bit misplaced!

 

And then the irony of BJ talking about the documented case of alleged underage prostitution in Pattaya -- after Thai police officials and the locals in Pattaya regularly proclaim that they've found no prostitution of any kind occurring there....

 

PLEASE!!!!! 

 

 

 

3 hours ago, phil2407 said:

Someone is lying! 

1 the German 

2 the lawyer 

3 the court & RTP 

How can the police 3 officers be charged with anything if according to the lawyer 2  the court allowed him to travel home for business?

Just saying!! 🤣

 

 

 

 

 

 

BP newspaper states that the accused claims that he paid 700,000 baht for bail and legal fees and another 1,000,000 baht for…. miscellaneous…. Seven days after being charged, he flew home. 
So this furore isn’t so much about the sex industry. That part of it is no surprise to anyone. 

What happened to the British bar owner and his Thai wife?

Certain European countries take culprits to court for such illegalities irrespective from where they happened. I think the Swedes and the Swiss are doing the same. Yet it might be a long way until Thailand is walking the same footpath ....... 

22 hours ago, Emdog said:

I'm no fan of pedophiles, but I am of due process

If Germany has no extradition treaty with Thailand, what was Jens arrested for in Germany? Unless it was for a German crime done on German soil it is a huge violation of basic civil rights if cops can just snatch you off the street in order to talk with foreign cops who have no jurisdiction or legal way to get you into their jurisdiction.

That sounds like nonsense, there are now a few countries that have laws in place to arrest, charge and try pedophiles for crimes committed overseas, and that's due process as it should be. 

On 12/7/2023 at 3:23 AM, webfact said:

According to her, she was informed by a member of her association that Mr. Jens has already been arrested in Germany and is in custody with plans in place for Thai authorities to attempt to request to conduct an interview, according to Thai Police.

 

That's not going to happen, German police will handle his "interviews" and he will be tried in a German court if there's enough evidence to charge him.

 

Thai police will be providing their files and nothing else, hopefully they are in a good enough shape to be used in a German court.

More Pattaya trash

On 12/8/2023 at 9:12 AM, Artisi said:

That sounds like nonsense, there are now a few countries that have laws in place to arrest, charge and try pedophiles for crimes committed overseas, and that's due process as it should be. 

I disagree. I believe in such concepts as "jurisdiction": Germany has no jurisdiction in Thailand and vice versa.

For example, let's say you are from a country which has law against homosexuality... maybe Iran . You come here, find a boyfriend and have a good time. You return home and are charged, tried and given the death penalty. They do kill gays in Iran.

But you are fine with this as "due process" and don't mind lack of jurisdiction?

I think it is Texas that wants to charge women with abortion murder EVEN if they leave the state and go to another where it is perfectly legal.

Borders are there for reasons: you laws end at the borders and ours begin

On 12/7/2023 at 12:17 PM, Seppius said:

What happened to the British bar owner and his Thai wife?

 

Manager, the owning 'group' cannot be named for defamation risks, no action appears to have been taken against the owners